'Shield' actor Jace arrested in wife's death

Tuesday

May 20, 2014 at 2:07 PMMay 20, 2014 at 2:10 PM

ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Michael Jace, who played a police officer on the hit TV show "The Shield," was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of shooting his wife to death in their Los Angeles home, authorities said.

April Jace, 40, was dead by the time authorities arrived at the couple's home in the quiet, modest neighborhood of Hyde Park on Monday night. Officers responded to the house after receiving a report that shots had been fired, Officer Chris No said.

Michael Jace was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of homicide, No said. He was being held in a Los Angeles jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

Calls from The Associated Press seeking comment from Jace's agent and manager were not immediately returned.

Jace, 51, is best known for his role as LAPD Officer Julien Lowe in the TV series "The Shield." He also appeared on the show "Southland" and had small roles in the movies "Planet of the Apes," ''Boogie Nights" and "Forrest Gump."

Jace and his wife were married for nine years and have two young sons. Lt. John Jenal told City News Service that two children under 10 were at the single-family home at the time of the shooting. They were in protective custody, he said. It could not be immediately confirmed if the children were those of the couple.

Records show Michael Jace filed for bankruptcy protection in March 2011, listing debts between $500,000 and $1 million. Much of the debt appeared to be related to his home, with an additional $22,000 owed in state and federal income taxes. More than $20,000 of his tax delinquency was owed to the state of California for the year 2008.

His wife was a public school teacher for the past 10 years, according to the filings.

In a statement of his assets, Michael Jace checked off a box indicating he didn't own any firearms. There are no records of any criminal cases involving Michael Jace in Los Angeles.

Jace had agreed to a payment plan in the bankruptcy filing but by November 2013 had fallen behind by nearly $2,000. A trustee sought to dismiss the case over the late payments, but that petition was withdrawn on Dec. 24, 2013, records show.

Coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter said April Jace's body had been removed from the home and an autopsy would not be performed until Wednesday at the earliest.